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[Pixelholic]

You know, I'm more afraid of the scales here than the technology itself. If only there was a way to scale things way back and still keep the technology.

Call me morbid, but I've said in the past that maybe the best thing that could happen to the human race is a huge calamity that kills most of the population but somehow doesn't get rid of our technology.

I have a suspicion that such a scenario is not even possible, however.

Its entirely possible to scale back but keep the same level of technology (possibly not the same level of comfort.) For example, if you had cellphones that lasted 10 years instead of 2, or got rid of AC and just sucked it up in the summer (as I endure 100 degree temps with the AC blasting... >.>)

Either that or the whole thing will collapse *Shrugs* one way or another the planet will self-regulate

 

[Abstract Thinker]

...one way or another the planet will self-regulate

^ THIS. I've always said "Forget saving the earth, save the people."

And by this I mean of course we should take better care of the planet, but in the bigger context of keeping it the beautiful and perfect place for us to live and thrive.

Maybe it's just me, but I think there's an important distinction there. If we can frame it in the context of keeping it safe for us to live here, and just how fragile we are as a species, then maybe we'll wake up and really do something about it.

I saw a doc on HBO recently called "Gasland," about how the manufacture of natural gas is anything but "natural," and it sickened me. Now, every time I see a Metro Bus with "This bus is running on clean natural gas." written on the side of it, I know better.

In the end, the earth could simply shrug its shoulders and brush us off like we brush away a fly.

 

[gromit]

WOW crazy video Giggly. I'm with you. I think the pace of things is a little disorienting. But I do think we'll eventually mellow out over it.

Its entirely possible to scale back but keep the same level of technology (possibly not the same level of comfort.) For example, if you had cellphones that lasted 10 years instead of 2, or got rid of AC and just sucked it up in the summer

There's a lot that can be done to design in ways that take advantage of the natural properties of the materials and things like sunlight and natural air currents to moderate the internal temperature inside the building (so less energy is required to regulate it mechanically).

 

[Pixelholic]

There's a lot that can be done to design in ways that take advantage of the natural properties of the materials and things like sunlight and natural air currents to moderate the internal temperature inside the building (so less energy is required to regulate it mechanically).

Yeah I know, in fact I usually don't have AC. I'm just on vacation and my girlfriend and family are big babies

 

[/DG/]

I find the video amazing. I will admit that it is a little worrisome to see how fast things are growing--population, new technologies. But I don't think there's any way to really predict what will happen to the human population. Will we become mindless robots with machines doing nearly everything for us? Will the population become fatter than ever? Will we use up Earth's resources? Will any of this lead to the demise of the human population or will it give us great advantages and possibilities? There isn't really a way to tell. We can guess and postulate, but anything is possible. The only thing we can really do is live our lives, taking everything day by day.

 

[The Outsider]

Not impressed.

 

[/DG/]

Not impressed.

The flashy transitions didn't get you?

 

[The Outsider]

They did in a way.

 

[5231311252]

"inspiring" video but the implications made by those statistics are a load of crap and there is nothing futuristic about them.

china has always had a massive population and it is not rising at any greater rate than before.
Google - public data

I have no idea what IQ is mentioned as a relative statistic when 25% of any country with at least 4 times the population of the US would have the same statistic. "translation" riiight. the population of bermuda is only about 65,000 ("penetration" is users/total population). most of the statistics after that are indirectly tied to moore's law which again is nothing new. a supercomputer can never be built that transcends the human brain that built it in terms of computation power divided by the time taken to compute

so what does it all mean? 3 people grabbed a bunch of statistics and blew them out of proportion to fuel the idea that something about the development of technology itself will change and the reality of the future will be radically different.

the truth is, reality doesnt change even if human technology does. in 2000, we had a computer crisis, not flying cars. ironically, this kind of sensationalism about the future is a very familiar thing from the past.

Phew. I thought I was the only one who had a problem with this video.

 

[Magic Poriferan]

The figure that bothered me the most actually was the one about the rate at which new information is gained in a field, and how quickly a professional would have to go back to school, basically... I don't really see that as a good thing. We're dealing with an influx of information that is greater than we can manage.

As for the population thing, the most important figure is the total amount of humans on earth, and that is dramatically higher than it was just 100 years ago. That is relevant.

 

[Giggly]

The figure that bothered me the most actually was the one about the rate at which new information is gained in a field, and how quickly a professional would have to go back to school, basically... I don't really see that as a good thing. We're dealing with an influx of information that is greater than we can manage.

Yes, that is worrisome.

As for the population thing, the most important figure is the total amount of humans on earth, and that is dramatically higher than it was just 100 years ago. That is relevant.

We're a reproducing bunch, aren't we? lol